On-course issues mar Sault Area Chamber Chase marathon

Sunday

Sep 23, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Course marshals directed a number of top marathon runners off course.

Peter Pietrangelo

SAULT STE. MARIE — Tom Preiss's time would have set a course record for the Chamber Chase Marathon but for one problem — he, and a number of others, didn't run the course correctly.Course marshals on the corner of 5 Mile Road and Nicolet were supposed to direct runners east on 5 Mile toward Scenic Drive but instead had runners continue down Nicolet. By the time the problem was discovered, a handful of runners — believed to be five or six — had already run the incorrect route."There's no excuse for that," said Price, from downstate Waterford, who finished in 2 hours, 51 minutes, 18 seconds. The previous record was set last year by Tim Pearson (2:54:43), who won this year's 10k Bridge Run in 39:20. "there was a guy who had the timing mat just to the left of them and told everybody to go straight. I even remember asking at that corner which way because at a crossroad, you just don't know. They said to go straight. Everybody else went that way, too."All runners who were sent the wrong way will be given a free entry into next year's Chamber Chase, race director Al Case said."(Preiss) finished first and we're going to acknowledge and recognize that he finished first even though there was a segment of the course that unfortunately there was a course marshaling incident," Case said. "We messed up."The problem was discovered when vehicles traveling the course realized there were runners heading south on Nicolet when they should not have been there. They were redirected back toward the correct course."Given the fact they were misdirected, they seemed to be handling it pretty well," Case said.Alex Feravich was second in 3:01:19, and Mark Wetzl was third in 3:11:54.Rosemary Baldwin, from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., won the women's marathon in 3:11:11 and would have set a personal best if not for being diverted off course. She finished second in last year's marathon. She said she ran the course "about a kilometer" short."One in 42 kilometers, it's really not that big of a deal," Baldwin said.Michele Berry Godsey of Cincinnati, Ohio, was second (3:46:57), and Corie Pung of Portland, Mich., was third (4:01:31).Even the half marathon wasn't free from course issues, with the first two male finishers cutting short the end of the course and finishing in the wrong direction — the same direction as last year. Runners were supposed to remain on Portage Street and turn north on Bingham, but the first two runners turned north on Johnston and cut the course short.Michael McPherson, a track and cross country runner at Lake Superior State originally from Ironwood, won the half-marathon in 1:15:23, and with Nathan Mudge of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., finishing second (1:15:44). Andrew Simmons of Portage was third (1:17:40).In the women's half marathon, Pamela Ficociello of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., won in 1:33:41, followed by Lindsey Lusardi of Gladstone (1:34:37) and Whittney Laderoute of Clarkston (1:34:55).Pearson won the Bridge Run, followed by Lee Kanitz of Hessel (41:09) and Greg Mills of Bellaire (46:00). In the women's Bridge Run, Charlotte Folkersma of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was first (51:46), Tracie Verrett-Miller of Kalamazoo was second (51:52) and Jocelyn Fabry of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., was third (51:53).In the 5k, Jonathan Studer of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., won in 17:18, followed by Jacob McDonoff of Rudyard (20:52) and Sean Clark of Cadillac (21:38). In the women's race, Jennifer Daniel of Suttons Bay won in 25:21, followed by Jackie Landis of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. (26:19) and Katrina Ledy of Pickford (26:21).A record total of 305 people registered for the races.